Automatic controllable &#34;g&#34; impact switch



Jan. 22, 1957 R. TOLLEFSEN AUTOMATIC CONTROLLABLE "G" IMPACT SWITCH Filed Jan. 24. 1955 FIG. I.

22 f 24 2s 29 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR REED TOLLEFSEN ATTORNEY 2 1957 R. TOLLEFSEN AUTOMATIC CONTROLLABLE "c" IMPACT SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24. 1.955

PIC-3.6.

FIG. 5.

FIG. 7.

INVENTOR REED TOLLEFSEN ATTORNEY AUTOMATIC CONTROLLABLE G IMPACT SWITCH Reed Tollefsen, Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Application January 24, 1955, Serial No. 483,717

11 Claims. (Cl. 200-61.5)

This invention relates to an improved automatic controllable G impact switch, and has for one of its principal objects the provision of means for automatically mak ing an electrical contact, releasing a pre-tensioned spring or performing some other operation when the human element is not in a position to function and wherein the result to be accomplished must be performed within a very limited space of time, or actually instantaneously.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide an apparatus which will automatically function to perform a predetermined operation upon a rapid or excessive acceleration or deceleration.

Another and still further important object of the invention is the provision of a device of the class described which can be pre-set for automatic functioning whenever a maximum movement in one direction or another is attained.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation partly in section and parts being broken away showing the improved automatic controllable G impact switch of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view showing portions of the element which are automatically displaced when the apparatus of this invention operates.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the parts after operation as distinguished from the inoperative relationship of the element illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view illustrating certain parts shown in Figure 2, and depicting the relationship of same following automatic operation of the structure of this invention. I

Figure 7 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section on the line S-8 of Figure 1, looking downwardly.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally a housing or casing which is adapted to contain the improved automatic controllable G impact switch of this invention. This is preferably cylindrical in shape and composed of metal, but other shapes and materials may obviously be employed.

The casing is fitted with a bottom 12 which is removable for convenient access to the interior and a web or partition 14 is fixed in the casing at a point substantially adjacent its middle. Mounted in the center of the partition 14- and freely swingable through 360 by means of a ball 16 and socket 18 is a pendulum 20 having a supporting shaft 22 fitted into the ball 16. Three springs 24 spaced equi-distantly or apart have their inner ends fastened to an annulus 26 adjacent the ball 20 of the pendulum and their outer ends fitted into rings, screw-eyes or the like 28 positioned in the walls of the housing 10, and are provided for normally maintaining the pendulum in a neutral or central inoperative position, as shown in Figure 1. These springs can be varied in size and tension to meet difierent requirements, or adjustments can be made by way of the screw-eyes or similar devices for changing the tension if desired or necessary.

An extension or elongation of the pendulum supporting rod 22 is fitted into the opposed face of the ball 16, such being indicated by the reference numeral 30. This extension is hollow and a helical spring 32 is positioned therein for supporting a ball bearing or the like 34 in the upper end of the tubular extension 30. From an inspection of Figure 4, it will be noted that the hollowed out portion of the extension St is inwardly flared at its upper end to produce a beveled edge 36 whereby the ball 34 is retained in this upper end regardless of the operative or inoperative position of the pendulum 20. A plug 31 adjustably tensions the spring 32.

Positioned so as to abut against and inter-fit with the end of the pendulum extension 30 and its retained ball 34 is a rod 40, concave at its lower end to receive a portion of the ball 34.

The upper end of the rod 40 is reamed out to form a sleeve 42 (Figure 6) and a spring 44 is in this sleeve portion.

The lower end of the rod 40 is screw-threaded as illustrated at 46 and a similarly internally screw-threaded sleeve 48 of insulating material is fitted around the lower end of the rod 40 (Figure 5). The insulating sleeve 48 is fixed in an annulus 50 having a conical depending portion, this being of metal or some other current carrying material, and a helical spring 52 surround the rod and sleeve assembly til-48.

Fixed in the housing 18 at diametrically opposite points and at the level of the lower end of the rod 40 with its contained sleeve and annulus is a pair of inwardly extending strips or bars 54 fastened to the sides of the housing 10 by means of bolts or the like 56 but electrically insulated therefrom by suitable materials in the form of washers or the like 58. The ends of the bolts 56 project beyond the outer face of the housing and provide binding posts for the ends of current carrying wires 60. The conical portion of the annulus 50 is so shaped as to interfit with correspondingly curved beveled ends 62 of the bars or strips 54 (Figure 3). There may be more than two bars or strips 54 for other purposes.

A supporting disc or plate 64 is fixed in the housing 10 above the bars or strips 54 and this is centrally pierced to receive and support the upper hollow portion 42 of the rod 40. An integral boss 6 is preferably formed in the plate 64 for abutment of the spring 52 there against. This spring 52 is normally under compression by reason of the adjusted position of the annulus 59, as best shown in Figure 1.

A centrally bored conical element 63 is fixed to the plate 64 with its central opening in alignment with the corresponding central opening of the plate and in such relationship thereto that the sleeve 42 fits snugly into these aligned openings and is thereby held in desired position therein.

A plug 70 is slidably placed in the upper end of the sleeve 42 in such a position as to normaily compress the spring 44. This plug has an opening 72 in one face thereof (Figure 6) and a pull-pin 74 having a head 76 passes through an opening in the sleeve 42 and has its end normally fitted into the opening 72 in the plug 70. This pullpin likewise passes through a slotted opening 78 in the vice isdesired to-automatically operate? The apparatus 7 cube used in airplanes to automatically break off currentconnections to prevent'firesin case of a crash and also can be similarly used in land or water'vehicles includingautomobiles, trucks, railway trains,--ships, boatsa'nd the" like, or-in-factany placewhere certain conditions must orshould be met;instantaneously after some untoward or unexpected-accident or similaroccurrence: Instead'of breaking current connections, a connection maybe made as illustrated and this-in-turn may operate 'a relay for 'performing: the current breakingvor other operation.

Additionally when the combination pin and sleeve-"40,

42- isforced downwardly. by the action of the spring 52when' the pendulumis displaced, the pull pin 74 76' will ride outwardly. in itsslot -78 with'the'result that-its end will be withdrawn'from the opening-in the plug-70 and the spring 44 will then operate to forcibly eject the plug, which"can in itsel'f p'erform sorne'other, or desired operation, or-it may contact a pin such as that shown at- 80 in Figures 1 and- 5 to elevate or displace thesam'e', thereby consummating or initiating another operation. The-movement of the plug can belim'ited by a piston, disc, plate-or thelike82 fitted into the upper-endofthehousing 10.

It willbe evident-that herein is-pr'ovided an automatic controllable G impact switch whichcan bepre-setto operate atorupon the application of aforce which may belthat of'anything over gravity: as indicated by the letter G.

too suddenly accelerated or decele'rated,- the automatic" functioning will immediately control any desired sequence of predetermined operations-whereby loss and damage due to excessive speed or sudden stops can be avoided: Additionally,-the device can be employed in all research operations associated with guided missile Work or other supersonic speeds and in'this connection; the automatic'ejection of cameras and-other scientific-recording instruments from themissileorother-objectunder study can" be" readily; simply andefficientlyaccomplished;

I amaware that many changes may bemade and numerous details ofconstruction varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles of'tln'sinvention,.and I-therefore do not propose limiting-the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated-by'the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic controllable G impact'switch comprising. -acasing, a" pendulum swingably mounted in the casing, an extension beyond the pivotal pointof the pendu- For example, if a vehicle of any type into which' theapparatus of this invention-is installed has its'sp'eed" lum, a spring impelled pin in the housing normally in contact with the end of the extension and automatic control means connected to the spring impelled pin, springs in the housing connected to the pendulum for normally maintaining the same in static relationship, means for adjusting the tension on said springs, said adjusting means including screw-eyes in the housing, the pivotal support for the pendulum comprising a ball and socket joint, the extension" of the pendulum beingi hollow, a spring pressed ball in the extension, the end ofth'e' operating pin adjacent the pendulumextension-being--concave for normal reception ofthe spring pressed ball.

2. A device asdescribedinclaimd, wherein said automatic control means-includes-a currentcarrying element, a pair of current carrying bars mounted in the housing adjacent the current carrying element on the pin.

3. A device as described in claim 2 wherein a pair of current carryingibarsare mounted in the housing adjacent the current carrying element on the pin.

4. A-device as-described in claim' 1, wherein one end of the-spring impelled pin is cylindricaland a second spring in said cylindrical 'end,

5, A device as described in claim 4, wherein a plug is slidably positioned in said cylindrical end, said plug normally compressing-the second spring.

6 An automatic controllable G impact switch comprising a casing, a pendulumswingably mounted in the casing, an extension-beyond the pivotal point of the pen dulum, a spring irnpelled -pinin the housing normally in contact with the end of the extension and automatic control means connected to the spring impelled pin, one end of said pinbeing-cylindrical, a helical spring-in said cylindrical end;a plug slideablypositioned in said cylndrical end for normally compressing the spring, a pull-pin for normally retaining the plug in spring compressing position.

7. A device as described in claim 6, wherein a conical support surmounts the cylindrical end of the rod, said support having a slot therein for reception of the pull-pin.

8. A device as described in claim 7, wherein the head of the pull-pin is wider than the slot.

9. A device as described in claim 8, wherein the cylindrical end of the rod has an opening therein, said opening being adjacent the slot in the conical member and for the passage of the pull-pin therethrough.

10. A device as described in claim 9, wherein a second pin ispositioned in the'housing adjacent the end of the first named pin and tubular element, said pin being: in alignment therewith and adapted for contact, with the slidable plug when the same is ejected from its tube.

11. A device asdescribedin claim 2, wherein more than two current carrying elements are mounted in the housing, said elements adapted for accomplishing both one and a plurality of results.

lrrerences cited in the'file' Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

